Woman, 58 · Extended deep plane facelift + Deep neck lift + Temporal lift + Endoscopic brow lift + Upper & lower blepharoplasty + Canthopexy + Fat grafting
Case 03 in the gallery
Neck Lift & Deep Neck Lift in Istanbul
A neck lift restores the clean line between your jawline and neck by correcting what actually causes the fullness — the loose neck muscle and, when needed, the deeper tissue beneath it, in what is called a deep neck lift. Every operation is planned around your anatomy, never a standard formula.
- Surgery: 2–3 hours
- Hospital stay: 2 nights
- Time in Istanbul: ~12 days
- Socially presentable: ~2 weeks
What a Neck Lift Corrects
A neck lift addresses the changes that blunt the neck's definition: vertical platysma bands, fullness under the chin, a heavy or undefined jawline, and the loss of the crisp angle between chin and neck. Which of these you have determines the operation — there is no single "neck lift". Skin laxity alone, muscle banding, and deep structural fullness are three different problems, and treating the wrong one is the most common reason neck surgery disappoints. That is why my planning starts with where the problem actually sits: skin, muscle, or the compartment beneath the muscle.
The Deep Neck Lift: Working Below the Muscle
A deep neck lift treats the space underneath the platysma muscle — the layer standard neck lifts never reach. Through a small incision hidden under the chin, I can reduce subplatysmal fat, conservatively manage the anterior digastric muscles, and, when they contribute to fullness, address prominent submandibular glands — then repair the platysma in the midline.
This matters because in many necks the fullness is not under the skin at all; it is under the muscle. Liposuction or skin tightening cannot reach it, which is why some patients have "had their neck done" elsewhere and still see the same heavy neck in photographs. Deep neck surgery demands precise anatomical knowledge — the structures involved sit close to important nerves — and it is exactly the kind of surgery where a facelift-focused practice matters.
Real Neck Results
Unretouched photographs of Dr. Yilmaz's own patients, published with written consent. Both cases appear in the before & after gallery, where every patient is shown from three angles.
Woman · Extended deep plane face & neck lift + Endoscopic forehead lift + Temporal lift + Upper & lower blepharoplasty + Canthopexy + Lip lift + Fat grafting + CO₂ laser resurfacing
Combined face and neck plan · Case 05 in the gallery
Neck Lift and Facelift: Why They Usually Belong Together
The jawline is the border between face and neck, and it ages as one unit — which is why the best results in heavy or structural necks come from treating face and neck together, and why my most frequent operation is the extended deep plane facelift combined with a deep neck lift. Lifting the neck without repositioning the descended deep tissues of the lower face leaves a mismatch at the jawline; treating both in one plan produces the continuous, natural line international patients travel for.
An isolated neck lift has its place: typically a younger patient whose complaint is genuinely confined to the neck — an inherited full neck, early banding, a blunted angle — with a lower face that has not yet descended. Which of these describes you is a consultation question, and I will tell you honestly if the answer is "neck only", "face and neck", or "no surgery yet".
Is Chin Liposuction Enough?
Chin liposuction can be enough when the excess is fat under the skin and skin and muscle tone are good. When fullness sits beneath the muscle, or bands and laxity are present, liposuction alone cannot correct the underlying problem. At consultation, I assess which layer is responsible before recommending liposuction, a neck lift or deeper neck work.
Which Neck Procedure Treats What
Four different problems need four different operations — this is how they compare.
| Aspect | Chin liposuction | Neck lift | Deep neck lift | Combined face & neck lift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Targets | Fat under the skin | Platysma muscle laxity and banding, loose skin | Fullness beneath the muscle: subplatysmal fat, digastric muscles, submandibular glands | Descended lower face plus any of the neck problems |
| Layer treated | Subcutaneous | Muscle + skin | Below the platysma | Deep plane of face + neck layers |
| Incisions | Tiny punctures | Under the chin; around the ears if skin is redraped | Short incision hidden under the chin | Facelift incisions + under the chin |
| Typical candidate | Good skin and muscle tone, isolated fat | Banding or laxity confined to the neck | Heavy neck that persists after weight loss or previous surgery | Jawline and neck ageing together — the most common situation |
Who Is a Good Candidate — and Who Is Not
Good candidates have a structural problem: banding, deep fullness, real laxity, a blunted neck angle. General health must allow elective surgery under general anesthesia, and nicotine must be stopped for the required period — I do not operate on patients who cannot stop smoking. I advise against neck surgery when the concern is skin quality rather than structure (there are better tools for that), when expectations are not realistic — a neck lift restores your neck's best version, not someone else's neck — and when weight is still changing significantly. Age by itself is not a criterion; anatomy is.
How the Operation Is Performed
Neck lift surgery takes place under general anesthesia at a fully equipped hospital in Istanbul with intensive-care infrastructure — not in an office setting. Incisions are placed where they are designed to disappear: a short incision in the natural crease under the chin and, when skin needs redraping, fine incisions around and behind the ears. The operation typically takes two to three hours, longer when combined with a facelift.
Nerve safety is central to how I operate: the marginal mandibular nerve runs directly through this territory, and my background — microsurgical training and doctoral research on peripheral nerves — together with routine use of an intraoperative nerve stimulator, is built around protecting it. Anesthesia follows the same protocol as my facelift surgery, including continuous depth monitoring and clot-prevention measures.
Recovery and Your Time in Istanbul
International patients plan around twelve days in Istanbul. You arrive at least two days before surgery for an in-person examination, spend two nights in hospital under close monitoring, then move to a recovery hotel from day three. I see you for follow-up on days 5–6 and 8–9, and clear you to fly at the final check on day 9–10.
Swelling and tightness under the chin are normal in the first weeks; most patients are socially presentable within two weeks, with residual firmness settling over months. After you fly home, my aftercare team reviews your photographs and videos weekly. The full day-by-day picture is in my recovery guide.
Risks, and How I Reduce Them
Honest surgery starts with naming the risks. The relevant ones here are bleeding and haematoma in the first hours (the reason for two monitored hospital nights), temporary weakness of the lower-lip branch of the facial nerve (usually neuropraxia that recovers; permanent injury is rare and is what the nerve-safety protocol exists to prevent), contour irregularities, seroma, and scars that need time to fade.
Deep neck surgery in particular should be done by surgeons who operate in this anatomy routinely. If a result ever needs refinement, I assess it the way I assess all revision surgery: after the tissues have fully settled, not before.
How Long a Neck Lift Lasts
A structural repair lasts because it corrects structure: the deep work does not "wear off", and most patients look better than their starting point for many years — commonly a decade or more — while normal ageing continues. Longevity depends on what was done (deep repair lasts longer than skin tightening alone), on your tissue quality, and on stable weight. What a neck lift does not do is stop time; it resets the starting point.
What a Neck Lift Costs
There is no single price, because there is no single operation — an isolated neck lift, a deep neck lift, and a combined face-and-neck plan are different surgeries. After a video consultation I provide a transparent, itemised quote for your specific plan; what determines the cost is explained here. Before-and-after photographs of face and neck patients are in the results gallery. The main factors are the scope of the plan — an isolated neck lift, a deep neck lift or combined face-and-neck surgery involve different operating times and anesthesia; the two monitored hospital nights; and what the quote includes: hospital fees, pre-operative tests, recovery-hotel coordination and a year of structured follow-up. The quote you receive is itemised, so you can see each of these lines before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a neck lift and a deep neck lift?
A standard neck lift tightens the platysma muscle and redrapes skin. A deep neck lift also treats the compartment beneath the muscle — subplatysmal fat, the digastric muscles and, when needed, prominent submandibular glands. When fullness sits below the muscle, only a deep neck lift can correct it.
Can I have a neck lift without a facelift?
Yes, when the problem is genuinely confined to the neck — typically younger patients with inherited fullness or early banding. When the lower face has descended too, I recommend treating face and neck as one unit, because lifting the neck alone leaves a mismatch at the jawline.
Is neck liposuction enough on its own?
Only when the excess is fat under the skin in a patient with good skin and muscle tone. If the fullness is under the muscle, or bands and laxity are present, liposuction alone will disappoint — this distinction is exactly what the consultation determines.
Where are the scars?
In the natural crease under the chin and, when skin redraping is needed, in the folds around and behind the ears. They are designed to sit where the eye does not look, and they fade over months.
How painful is the recovery?
Most patients describe tightness and pressure rather than severe pain, controlled with simple medication. The first week is about swelling and rest; most people are socially presentable within two weeks.
When can I fly home?
I clear international patients to fly at the final in-person check, usually day 9–10 after surgery. After that, follow-up continues remotely with weekly photo and video reviews by my aftercare team.
Will my platysma bands come back?
The midline muscle repair is durable; normal ageing continues, but corrected bands do not simply reappear. Longevity is best when the deep structures were treated, not just the skin.
How do I choose the best surgeon for a deep neck lift?
Look for a facelift-focused practice, and ask specific questions: how the surgeon handles the structures beneath the platysma, how the marginal mandibular nerve is protected, and how many face-and-neck operations they perform each year. Consistent, unretouched before-and-after photographs of necks — not just faces — are the best evidence.
How much does a neck lift cost in Turkey?
There is no standard price, because the operation is planned individually — isolated neck lift, deep neck lift and combined face-and-neck surgery are different plans. After a video consultation you receive a transparent, itemised quote.
Request a Personal Neck Assessment
Send your photographs for a personal review by Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz. You will receive a considered opinion on whether your neck needs skin, muscle or deep structural work — or face and neck together — and a clear answer if surgery is not the right decision for you. You can share your photographs over WhatsApp, or simply send the form — the patient coordination team will request them from you afterwards.
Request a personal review See before & after results
Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Dr. Yilmaz; scheduling is handled by the patient coordination team.
About Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz
Written and medically reviewed by Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS — Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. Last medically reviewed: 5 September 2026.
Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz is a double board-certified plastic surgeon (FEBOPRAS and the Turkish Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) practising in Istanbul, Türkiye. His practice is focused on facial and neck rejuvenation, centred on the deep plane facelift — around 150 facelift operations per year, performed at Acıbadem Kartal Hospital. He is a member of TSPRAS and ISAPS, and is registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health for international health tourism. Read his full profile.
References
- Feldman JJ. Corset platysmaplasty. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1990;85(3):333–343. PMID 2304983
- O’Daniel TG. Understanding deep neck anatomy and its clinical relevance. Clin Plast Surg. 2018;45(4):447–454. PMID 30268237
- Auersvald A, Auersvald LA, Uebel CO. Subplatysmal necklift: a retrospective analysis of 504 patients. Aesthet Surg J. 2017;37(1):1–11. doi:10.1093/asj/sjw107